The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-29
THE MACON TION.

"A Republican" for whom we enter
tain high respect, expresses, in a com
munlcation published in another column,
deep regret for the Macon celebration,
which resulted in alternating expressions
OF tears and JOY over jefferson Davis and
the flags OF two OF the Georgia regiments
that fought for the substantiation Of the
Confederate States government. He fears
the effect OF this upon public sentiment at
the north; but, more and worse than that,
he fears the effect of the APPEAL s editorial
OF yesterday, as leading the rising genera
ton away from love and devotion to and
for the Union. In all this we think our
friend mistaken. That there are people ut
the north who will refuse TO under
stand and who will misreprcsent
the south, and oven the least
things done at the south, goes without
saying. For these there is no help.
For the larger army of considerable, UNI
biased and unprejudiccd people there
is little need OF explanation. As for
apology, we have none 20 make
II il the APrEAL's duty 10 voice tho will
OF the people and express their joys and
their sorrows. II IL among the ArrEALs
duties TO speak for the people Of the south
as they would speak for themselves, arid
when II fails OF that duty the time will have
come forts enshroudingandits burial The
scene at Macon, unparalleled for its pathos,
WAS not a pre-conception. II was not n
fixed thing II was like an explosion from
q spark. No one was responsible for it.
The whole mass was into IL before any
check could be applied. The burning
memories that took thousands OF brave,
stalwart men Off their feet was power 30 ir-
resistibe that opposition to il would have
been IA FOOLS Grand No man, therefore,
who feels within himself the power
of response to sacred things will
for n moment reflect upon the EXON
icdcmtcs who lost their footing in food
Of memory. They are not any less honor
able and true in their icalty and devotion
10 n restored Union because they thus in
Obliged in tcars over the remnants Of sym
Dol OF the lost cause. II is lost. Lost he.
yond recall. II cannot be- revived. II is
utterly and entirely dead. What fear, then,
can be honestly INDUCED ior the loyalty
and truth Of those who almost broke their
hearts in sight Of the rags, the tatters that
recalled the storm and sircss Of war, the
sullcrings and endurance Of men, the self.
sacrifice and heroism Of women? There is
nothing In all thisto east a moments doubt
ON the men who believe, with salmon T..
Chase, In an indcstruc,ible union Of indie
struc,ible States. Every public mSn in
the south knows, Us tIssl~sntS5udgc
Elicit ASSURE -AHidcnt Cleveland, that
the war s'Shcd forever the question of So
cession. and that IL cannot again be- ~
yiyed. But this does not run counter
10 the theories Of Calhoun fact
mndc plain by Secretary lamar in
his scholarly eulogy Of the great
Carolnian a, Charleston. The Union IL
N indcstructiblc rs the Staics-both
are supreme within their clearly de-
fined constitutional limits, and neither
can lawfully, without violating the trust Of
the people, trench upon the other. The
people, south aud north, are agreed upon
this, and they arc agreed that there Is no
noon within the limits Of the Federal I'm.
ion Tor any other than the flag Of the
Union. ], Is the nag Of great nation. II
is the symbol Of a sovereignty the greatest
on the earth, and Il cannot be injured OF
impaired Of 10 value M that symbol by
the tcan Of the gallant Gcorgians in the
presence Of the chief Of the lost cause.
There Is nothing Ia he made Of an in.
cidcnt 30 touching. and no man, unless he
bc beyond the reach Of sympathy, can
fail n bc touched in his heart by those
evidences Of rcvcrn,ial love for a past
that Ia beyond recall.